


Doctor Doctor

by dragonsFall



Series: Mutants [8]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Ace has fire manipulation, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Mutants, Doctor Deuce, Gen, Medical Inaccuracies, reunited friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:55:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26248291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonsFall/pseuds/dragonsFall
Summary: Waking up in the hospital, Ace sees someone he never thought he would see again. If only it was under better circumstances.
Relationships: Masked Deuce & Portgas D. Ace
Series: Mutants [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1894681
Comments: 8
Kudos: 51





	Doctor Doctor

Through the murky depths of his mind, Ace could pick up two voices. One deeper than the other. There was a hint of respect to the second voice. As if they were talking to someone they looked up to and were hoping to learn a lot from. To Ace, they sounded like a pair of men. He was aware of a mask over his face. An ice-cold hand wrapping around his wrist brought him fully to the realm of the waking. It was lifted then a device that was just as cold as the hand was snapped around his wrist. Shortly after, his arm was returned to the bed. It suddenly felt like he had been drained of energy he didn’t have to begin with.

“You can go home… You’ve already put in a later shift than you were supposed to. I can handle this” Commented the polite voice from beside him. The other voice would respond. Ace couldn't make out what had been said but he did hear footsteps retreating from the room.

Ace was finally able to get his eyes to open. Then, blinking away the blurriness, he took in the doctor that was hovering over him like a worried mother. Hair the same shade of blue as an early morning sky when the sun started to peek over the horizon. Two loose strands framed his face while the rest was pulled into a ponytail. Thin metal-framed glasses surrounding those deep brown, worried eyes. _Wait_. Ace knew this face and from the look he was getting, the doctor knew him too. Or he was just now realizing that he was awake.

“Deuce?” He asked, his throat was sore. It was almost painful to speak.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Asked the doctor, a hint of exasperation that was reserved just for Ace. That alone was answer enough on who was hovering over him. As if his appearance was not enough to clue him in on who he was. “Setting fire to your apartment like that! You could have _died_ ”

It had been so long since he had heard that tone. He never thought he would miss being scolded like he was a naughty child. But oh god. It was so nice to see Deuce again. To hear his voice. He didn’t even know he was back in town. Ace had last seen him when he was about to leave for college. Some fancy university way out of the city where they lived. A place Deuce had been so anxious about applying at. It took three days to encourage him to go for it. When the acceptance letter had come in, one could practically see him glowing with the confidence boost it had given him. Then they had lost contact after Ace accidentally broke his phone and he lost all of his contacts. Now here he was.

Oh. Was Deuce expecting an answer to his question? Either way, Ace decided to answer. “I didn’t _mean_ to. It just… happened” He sounded like shit and it hurt but he was determined to talk to his friend. To be fair, he was telling the truth. Thankfully it seemed that his old friend believed him. He doubted anyone else besides his brothers and maybe Marco would believe him. Oh god. He would need to contact them as soon as he was able. Although the hospital might have contacted his brothers already. They were set as his emergency contacts.

Guilt began to prick at him as he realized that he had destroyed the home he and his brothers shared. And the entire building as far as he was aware. Now he, his brothers, and everyone else in the building were without a home. They would need to find another mutant friendly complex. If only he had realized what was going on sooner. Or had gotten his body to respond to him. Oh, how he wished he had reunited with Deuce under better circumstances. Now his old friend must think he was horrible.

Trying to shove those thoughts to the back of his mind, Ace would ask a question. “What’s uh… What’s going on with..?” A gesture to show that he meant everything.

“Smoke inhalation” answered Deuce, “You're fireproof but not smoke proof. You’ll be lucky if you don’t suffer permanent damage to your lungs”

Oh. That made sense. He didn’t remember too much after starting the fire. Likely blocked from his memory. And there was another tone he had missed from his dear friend. Scolding with a hint of worry. A tone usually hidden by indifference. A mask that Deuce put up around other people to hide who he truly was. Because he was always so afraid of being himself. Of showing that he cared a little too much. And right now, he was trying to be professional.

“What about this thing?” He asked, lifting his wrist to peer at the bracelet encircling it.

“Power inhibitor. One condition of them letting us treat you. Can you believe they really wanted to turn you away because you were a mutant?” 

Ace could believe that. He heard that some hospitals would immediately turn away mutants and others would require that their powers were rendered dormant before treatment. It was something Sabo frequently ranted about when he got into one of his mutant rights preaching days. It was perfectly legal for them to do that. At least it was where they lived.

Before Ace could think about what to say next, Deuce was speaking. “I’ve read a few of your stories in the paper. You’re… really good” He complimented.

Ace shook his head at that. “Nah. Your writing was way better”. And it was the truth. Other people might have made fun of his friend for the way he wrote but Ace had always enjoyed it. "How long have you been back in town?”

“Couple of months. You should rest. We can catch up later” 

“Right” Ace waited a moment, watching his friend walk to the door to leave him to recover from the fire he had started. He had so many questions for Deuce but that could wait until it didn't hurt to speak. And he wasn't laying in a hospital bed. But at least he could offer some parting words. “Hey Deu?”

He waited until those brown eyes were on him, questioning in them rather than the previous worry. “Missed you”

That was a smile he missed. “Missed you too, Ace”

**Author's Note:**

> Want to request a fic? Feel free to contact me on my Tumblr: clockworkPanic


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